8 Things You Need To Know This AM

8 Things You Need To Know This AM — Dec 14 2015

Mariah Carey’s "All I Want For Christmas Is You" has been dethroned as the most-popular holiday song.

The New York Daily News calls Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" "one of the former Beatle's worst songs," but that hasn't stopped The Shins' cover of the 1979 single from doing the previously unthinkable: Dethroning Mariah Carey's holiday magnum opus, "All I Want for Christmas Is You," as the number-one most-played holiday song in retail stores — an accolade it has held for some two decades. (Read More)

Nearly 200 nations approved a landmark climate change agreement.

For the first time in history and after seven years of negotiations, 196 countries have agreed to adopt a new international pact that aims to stop global temperatures from rising more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century. As part of the “Paris Agreement,” so named as it was brokered during the United Nation’s COP21 Climate Change Conference, world leaders promised to restrict carbon emissions and switch to cleaner energy sources, eliminating the use of fossil fuels. (Read More)

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Saudi Arabia elected women to its municipal councils for the first time.

At least 13 women now have seats in Saudi Arabia’s municipal councils after the country’s third-ever elections, the first in which women were permitted to vote and run as candidates. Although progress has been made, it is limited: the elected female politicians make up less than 1% of Saudi municipal council membership; Saudi women still aren’t allowed to drive and had to cast their historic votes in segregated polling stations. (Read More)

Will Ferrell’s George W. Bush returned to Saturday Night Live in order to put Donald Trump in his place.

Will Ferrell dusted off his popular George W. Bush impression to bring some much-needed levity and real talk to the GOP presidential race. Throwing his hat into the ring for another go at the Oval Office, Ferrell’s Bush used the Saturday Night Live cold open to roast his fellow Republican candidates, mocking Donald Trump’s “big, fat, orange Oompa Loompa face” and Jeb’s ill-advised exclamation point campaign logo. (USA Today)

A teacher asked an eighth-grade Muslim student if she was carrying a bomb in her backpack.

A Gwinnett County, GA, middle school teacher asked her 13-year-old Muslim student whether she had a bomb in her backpack. The young girl, who wears a hijab, has chosen not to be identified publicly. But her father, Somali-born Abdirazik Aden, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “We are from Africa, we are Muslims, we live in America. I didn’t teach my children to hate people or to think they are better than other people.” (Jezebel)

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Married Japanese women are suing the government in order to keep their last names.

An archaic 1896 Japanese law stipulates that newlyweds must assume the same surname in order for their marriage to be legally registered. While the law doesn’t specifically mandate that the husband’s last name be adopted, 96% of married Japanese women no longer use their maiden names. Five women are fighting the law in Japan’s Supreme Court, requesting compensation and arguing that their civil rights have been violated. (Read More)

Eva Longoria got engaged to her boyfriend Jose Antonio Baston.

Eva Longoria is officially off the market for a third time: after two years of dating, the 40-year-old actress and her now-fiancé Jose Antonio Baston got engaged during a romantic trip to the Dubai desert. Longoria announced the happy news on Instagram, sharing a snap of her stunning ruby-and-diamond engagement ring. (Read More)

Taylor Swift is releasing her 1989 World Tour Live documentary on Apple Music.

Just when you thought Taylor Swift's 26th birthday celebration couldn't get any better, it does. Swift announced a special birthday gift for all her fans: the 1989 World Tour Live movie,which will be released on Apple Music on Sunday, December 20. That means that you can relive the behind-the-scenes moments and standout celebrity guest performances from the comfort of your own home! (Read More)